THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet.

However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else.

They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance, and the family is happily reunited.

So as promised, as soon as we got back to mine, I found the Railway Children for us to watch. The film was every bit as heartwarming, gentle and wonderful as I had been promised.

The cast is perfectly realised and I instantly fell in love with the caring Bobbie, wise cracking Peter and impetuous Phil – portrayed delightfully by Jenny Agata, Gary Warren and Sally Thomsett.

However, the heart of the film was the children’s mother. Had she not met my approval, the whole set up would have been ruined. Thankfully, the film avoided making the mother a mope or victim and she was brought to life with humour and elegance by Dinah Sheridan. Her dealings with the ‘mean’ maid at the beginning were just brilliant!

Albert Perks was another triumph – it took me a second to place Doctor Who’s friend Bernard Cribbons in the role. He brought light to his every scene – particularly when interacting with ‘ the Russian’ and his bloomin’ missus. His character also brought the railway to life – making every scene with the trains fun and emotive.

The only slight quibble was that I watched the film with two such reprobates. Almost as soon as the film started, himself started to question the portrayal of Bobbie’s relationship with the Doctor! Naturally my easily led mind instantly jumped to several unsavory situations!!

Of course, we were also watching it with an eye to the breathtaking landscape that we had wandered today. It was fascinating to see places that we had just visited – how different it all looked…and how the same. Truly gorgeous countryside – I feel all the honoured.

Like this:

So, many many (many many many) moons ago, I was a youngling. One obsessed with tv and film.

It’s a shock, I know, but try to imagine it. Without the internet I had to rely on my memory for the good stuff. And if you’ve ever met me, you’ll understand that while some people are bad at remembering names, I have some sort of pathological inability to place names on people (like my best friend…or my brother) let alone something as intangible as a tv series that I watched many years ago!

Over the years, I’ve managed to track down most of the tv or films that stayed with me via the t’nterweb, twitter and friends of similar age (and obsession). Three in particular have eluded me.

This evening, I shouted out on twitter with a very vague description and lo and behold…I have answers!!

One – @WatcherMark – suggested Wail of the Banshee – and I was almost convinced this was it – mostly because there was very little information available on the net and nothing on youtube (how rare is that nowadays). For certain, I have seen at least an episode or two.

However, it was @hopenlesmyth that actually hit the nail on the head with The Ink Thief (which actually stars Richard O’Brien – note to self, trust instincts…check imdb). The VHS on amazon is approximately £80…so I’ve picked up a copy of the book instead…for a more reasonable 1p (before p&p). Sadly the actual episodes can’t be embedded but here’s a song from Ro’B that featured in the show!

Vague Description the 2nd

For the second, I was vague to the point of not being entirely sure if I was actually remembering a tv show or a bit of a dream. Obviously I didn’t mention that to the pair above who had proven so fan-tab-u-lis-tic earlier!

3 sisters. Youngest was smart and wild. Punished by being put in a well. Possibly magic. Swords. Had to marry 1 of 3 brothers? Never saw the end.

Result

A private twitter user recommended that I have a look at some lists on imdb.

I said thanks and mentally resolved to unfollow at some point in the future.

Then they sent a link to a specific list and I mentally resolved not to be such a cow in the future. Because, halfway down the page – there it was!

Fantaghiro– an Italian fantasy film, split into two parts and dubbed into English and renamed The Cave of the Golden Rose.

This was only available for £25 on amazon so I had a quick look on youtube and discovered that some person had – rather wonderfully – uploaded a really poor version with English subs just for me to verify and watch with a gless that borders on the unattractive!

I’m so excited to watch the full thing (and it turns out that there are 4 sequels – at least 1 of which stars Brigitte Nielsen!!)

Just one of my childhood shows left to track down. I haven’t mentioned this one on twitter as it’s literally only a snippet of a memory of perhaps a dream.

Like this:

Really excited to hear that Wayward Pines has been picked up by Fox UK for next year!

BLURB (from Official Website)

Imagine the perfect American town… beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets. Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines.

Secret Service Agent ETHAN BURKE (Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon, “Crash,” “City of Ghosts”) drives to the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID, searching for two missing federal agents. One of the best Secret Service agents in the Seattle office, he’s the man who knew missing agent KATE HEWSON (Carla Gugino, “Watchmen,” “Entourage”) better than anyone. They were more than partners; their relationship nearly destroyed Ethan’s marriage.

Everything changes when a truck slams into his car…and he wakes up in the Wayward Pines Hospital, with the intense and unpredictable NURSE PAM (Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Melissa Leo, “The Fighter,” “Treme”) at his bedside. It soon appears that Pam is more interested in harming than healing. She and Ethan grow into deadly rivals, and her role in the town proves much deeper than anyone realizes.

As the mysteries within the town pile up, Ethan starts to question his own sanity. He is confronted by the mysterious and charismatic DR. JENKINS (Emmy Award nominee Toby Jones, “The Girl,” the “Harry Potter” franchise), the psychiatrist who treats him at Wayward Pines Hospital. As he begins to meet some of the local residents, including toymaker HAROLD BALLINGER (Reed Diamond, “24,” “Much Ado About Nothing”), Ethan forms a bond with BEVERLY (Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Juliette Lewis, “Hysterical Blindness,” “Cape Fear”), a bartender who is as wary of Wayward Pines as he is.

Back home in Seattle, Ethan’s wife, THERESA BURKE (Shannyn Sossamon, “40 Days and 40 Nights,” “How to Make It in America”), a former Secret Service Agent trainee, is informed by Ethan’s boss, ADAM HASSLER (Tim Griffin, “Prime Suspect”), that early testing shows Ethan was never in the car which was recovered on the side of the road outside of Wayward Pines. They’re still investigating. But this isn’t enough for Theresa. So she sets out on her own search for her husband, along with their teenage son, BEN (Charlie Tahan, “Charlie St. Cloud”).

Meanwhile, Ethan is challenged at every turn by the town’s die-hard residents, especially SHERIFF ARNOLD POPE (Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard, “Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”), who takes offense at a Secret Service agent showing up on his turf. Ethan’s continuing investigation only turns up more and more questions, and each one leads him to the most important question of all: What’s wrong with Wayward Pines?

Here’s the trailer to whet your appetite!

(For the love of all thinks holy, don’t think of Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas – you’ll totally ear worm yourself replacing sons with pines… Just me?)